Pregnant and Parenting Students and Employees
Pregnant and parenting students and employees are afforded protections under Title IX. Title IX’s nondiscrimination requirements specifically apply to those who are pregnant, experiencing childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovering from any of these conditions. Title IX also prohibits the application of any rule or policy concerning a student or employee’s parental, family, or marital status which treats them differently on the basis of sex.
Students and employees who are pregnant or experiencing or recovering from related conditions such as childbirth, false pregnancy, and termination of pregnancy, may request reasonable academic adjustments or accommodations to ensure their continued access to any educational program or activity, including any class, extracurricular activity, and employment. Reasonable adjustments or accommodations may vary based on an individual’s need. Common requests may include a leave of absence, excused absences, rescheduled exams, extensions of deadlines or other course-related adjustments, alternatives to make up missed coursework, a medical withdrawal, frequent breaks, a larger desk or chair, or other types of accommodations.
Student requests for pregnancy related adjustments or accommodations should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@uscupstate.edu.
Faculty and staff requests for pregnancy related accommodations should be directed to the Director of Human Resources at hr@uscupstate.edu.
Pregnancy itself is not a disability. However, certain impairments or complications resulting from pregnancy or related conditions might qualify as a disability. If you believe you have a disability because of pregnancy or related conditions and seeking accommodations by disability services, please contact Disability Services at (864) 503-5199.
To file a report of discrimination or harassment based on pregnancy or related conditions, please submit a Title IX Violation Report via the reporting link below.
Lactation Room
Nursing mothers – both students and employees – have access to a lactation room on the USC Upstate campus, located in the Media Building, Room 136A. For more information concerning the lactation room, please contact Employee Relations at officeofemployeerelations@uscupstate.edu.
The lactation room guidelines can be found here (PDF). To review the systemwide University of South Carolina Lactation Support Policy, please click here (PDF).
Additional Information and Resources
For additional information on the rights of pregnant and parenting students under Title IX, please review the guidance documents from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR):
- Discrimination Based on Pregnancy and Related Conditions (PDF)
- Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (PDF)
- Know Your Rights: Pregnant or Parenting? Title IX Protects You From Discrimination At School (PDF)
Title IX Violation Report
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or retaliation, at USC Upstate, you can report it. Any individual can make a report by submitting an online report via the reporting link below, sending an email to titleix@uscupstate.edu, by calling (864) 503-7193, mail, or in person.
Please know that the submission of a report will not automatically initiate a formal complaint process but will serve as an initial step to assess whether a violation of university policy and Title IX has occurred and will connect those impacted with supportive measures and resources.